1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device cooling apparatus that performs a cooling process on an electronic device using a cooling medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years and continuing, techniques are being developed for increasing the density and speed of an electronic device such as a semiconductor device, and in turn, techniques for properly processing heat generated from such an electronic device have to be considered. Specifically, heat generated from an electronic device increases as the density and speed of the electronic device are increased, and as a result, such heat may not be adequately processed through natural heat dissipation using a heat dissipating fin, for example. Accordingly, a cooling apparatus is used to realize forced cooling of the electronic device (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-213370).
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a cooling apparatus. The cooling apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a cooling unit 2, a heat dissipating unit 3, a tank 4, a pump 5, and pipes 8A-8C. The tank 4 stores cooling water as a cooling medium, and the pump 5 transfers the cooling water from the tank 4 to the pipe 8B connected to the cooling unit 2 by suction.
The cooling unit 2 includes a bent cooling pipe (not shown) arranged within a housing. The cooling unit 2 is thermally connected to an electronic device 6 (e.g., electronic element) corresponding to a heat generating element. Heat generated at the electronic device 6 is conducted to the cooling water that flows through the bent cooling pipe via the housing. In this way, the electronic device 6 may be cooled by the cooling unit 2.
The cooling unit 2 and the heat dissipating unit 3 are interconnected by the pipe 8C. The cooling water that is heated at the cooling unit 2 is transferred to the heat dissipating unit 3. The heat dissipating unit 3 includes a bent heat exchange pipe (not shown) and a fan 11, and cooling air generated by the fan 11 is directed to the bent heat exchange pipe.
In such an arrangement, the heat of the cooling water is converted into the heat of the cooling air, and in this way, the temperature of the cooling water may be lowered. The cooling water with the lowered temperature is then transferred via the pipe 8D back to the tank 4 to be stored therein. The cooling water circulates within the cooling apparatus 1 in the manner described above, and the electronic device 6 may be cooled in such a circulation process.
However, it is noted that in the cooling apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, the cooling unit 2, the heat dissipating unit 3, the tank 4, and the pump 5 are independently arranged, and thereby, four relatively long pipes 8A-8D have to be used to interconnect the respective components 2-5 of the cooling apparatus 1.
When the pipes 8A-8D are relatively long, heat absorption and heat emission may occur at relatively high rates while the cooling water is channeled through the pipes 8A-8D so that the heat efficiency of the cooling apparatus 1 may be degraded. As a consequence, the electronic device 6 may not be properly cooled, and proper operation of the electronic device 6 may be hampered.
Also, when the pipes 8A-8D are relatively long, pressure loss occurring within the pipes 8A-8D may be increased while the cooling water is circulated between the components 2-5 of the cooling apparatus 1, and thereby, a high performance pump has to be used as the pump 5. In turn, a large pump has to be used as the pump 5, and the overall size of the cooling apparatus 1 may be increased as a result.